Subsoil-plow



(N Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Y P. D. TUCKER.

SUBSOIL PLGW.

2 sheets-sheet 2. A

' (No Model.) l

- F. D. TUCKER.

SUBSOIL PLOW Patentsd Oct. 27, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

FREDERICK D. TUCKER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SUVBSOIL-PLOW.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,192, dated October2'?, 1896.

Application iiled October 18, 1895. Serial No. 566,040. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, FREDERICK D. TUCKER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Subsoil-Plows, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism adapted to cut andstir up the subsoil without throwing the subsoil upon the upper soil. Itmay be used by itself either upon the surface of the soil, cuttingthrough both the upper and the subsoil, or along the bottom of a furrowpreviously cut by a surface-soil plow, or it may be used in conjunctionwith a plow for the surface soil, the two being embodied in one machine.The object of thus loosening up and cutting the subsoil is to permitwater to enter the same for the purpose both of fertilizing it andretaining the moisture for the nourishment of the surface soil in dryseasons. Then used in the bottom of the furrow in the upper soil, iteffectively destroys the hard bottom left by the surface-soil plow andenables water, which would otherwise evaporate from the furrow or bedrained off thereby, to reach the subsoil and be retained there.

Myin vention consists of one or more knives so supported as to becapable of an up-anddown motion in the subsoil in connection with meansfor causing this reciprocation as the plow travels over the course.

It consists also in the combinations of parts hereinafter described, andpointed out delinitely in the claims.

The drawings show my invention in an appropriate form and in connectionwith a plow for surface soiling.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of this embodiment of my invention, andFig. 2 is a plan thereof.

Supported by the wheels a, having non-slipping treads b, is theaxle-frame c. Pivoted to this frame at d and d is the frame e, whichcarries at its rear the subsoiling-knives and attachments. Four of theseknives (marked f) are shown in the drawings, and such I believe to beaconvenient number, though more or less than that number may beprovided.

naled onto double cranks g on the shaft h. Sprocket-wheels t' on thisshaft operate the same, receiving their power through chains fromsprocket-wheels 7c, secured to the hubs of the wheels ct anda. I haveshown the shaft h geared with each wheel ct,'thus availing myself of thetraction of both wheels, but it may be geared with only one, if desired.Should the plow be driven by a steam or other motor instead of drawn,the shaft h need not be geared with the wheels, but the knives may begiven their reciprocation direct from the motor, if desired. Theseknives have in them slots Z, by means of which they are held in place bythe rod m, rigidly suspended from the frame c, spools being providedupon the rod fm between the knives to prevent their lateraldisplacement. Thus as the plow is moved forward the wheels rotatingtransmit a rotation to the shaft h, which gives a circular translationto the upper part of the subsoiling-knives and, by reason of theintermediate portions of said knives being guided in a straight line bythe rod m, causes their lower ends to move up and down and backward andforward. The front edges of these knives are serrated, as shown at n,and their rear edges are preferably sharpened. The knives being given asort of digging motion, as above eX- plained, thoroughly pulveri'ze andloosen up the subsoil in their track and render it of easy access to thewater.

Projecting rearward from the frame e is the brace p, from which dependsa casterwheel o. This wheelis vertically adjustable and, traveling alongthe bottom of the furrow intended to be subsoiled, regulates the depthof cut of the subsoiling-knives. In the form shown in the drawings theadjustment is controlled by the set-screw q, though it might beregulated by a lever or hand-wheel within reach of the driver, or inother suitable manner. A hand-lever r, pivoted to the axleframe o andconnected by a link r' with the frame e, and having a nger-operateddetent engaging with notches in the segment s on the said axle-frame c,provides means for elevating the frame e and its attached parts when itis desired to maintain the knives out of operation in the earth. Pivotedto the axle-frame c at t is the beam T of the sur- They consist ot' longthin bars and are jourface-plow U. This plow is held in position IOO andraised or lowered by the double crank u working in a slot 2." in saidplow-beam T and operated by the hand-lever 'v by means of the link r,connected therewith, and the double crank u". The hand-lever is held inposition by a finger-operated detent engaging with notches in thesegment fn. Suitably supported from the axle-frame c is the drivers seatw. The tongue y for the attachment of the horses projects from the frontof the axleframe c.

In using the embodiment of my invention shown herein the surface-plowand the subsoiler are first lifted from the ground by an extreme forwardmovement of the levers o and r and are then held by the detents on thelevers. Vith the parts in this position the apparatus is drawn to itsplace of operation. The surfacing-plow is then depressed the desireddistance by drawing up the lever r, and after a few feet of furrow havebeen turned the subsoilingknives are depressed in to the furrow. orpreviously adj usted rides along the bottom of the furrow and determinesthe depth of penetration of the subsoiling-knives. It will be noticedthat either plow is adjustable independently of the other and thateither may be thrown out of operation entirely while the other isworking.

Numerous equivalents and modifications will suggest themselves to oneskilled in this art, as, for example, the number of subsoiling-knivesand their form may be changed, the method of elevating theircarrying-frame and of regulating the depth of their cut may Thecaster-wheel,eithernow be varied, and the means of communicating motionto the knives may be changed. The subsoiling-plow may be used with orwithout the surface-plow, and if a surface-plow is used it may beattached in any convenient manner.

The method shown in the drawings of raising and lowering thesurfacing-plow I believe to be a convenient one, but it is onlyillustrative and any convenient method may be used. In general, I do notwish to be understood as limiting myself further than is definitelypointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a subsoiling-plow, in combination, the frame e, the shaft h heldon it, the cranks g, the knives f carried by said cranks, the bar mprojecting through slots in said knives and the adjustable wheel oregulating the depth of cut of said knives, for the purpose specified.

2. In a subsoiling-plow, in combination, the supporting-Wheels d, theaxle-frame c, the frame e hinged thereto, the subsoilingknives f carriedby said frame e, means for transmitting motion from at least one of saidsupporting-wheels to said subsoiling-knives, and the wheel o limitingthe depth of cut of said knives, for the purpose specified.

FREDERICK D. TUCKER.

lVitnesses:

ALBERT I'I. BATES, CHARLES L. HINE.

